By the ti he left Old Zhang’s stall, the sky had completely darkened.
Lanterns in the marketplace lit up one after another, their dim yellow light casting long shadows on the bluestone pavent.
Li Yuan walked along North Alley toward East Street. His gaze swept over a notice board by the roadside, and he paused.
A few new wanted posters had been added to the board. The paper was still fresh and the ink wasn’t dry, clearly posted just today.
The wanted posters featured sketches of several Cultivators, with their nas, Cultivation levels, and cris written beside them.
Li Yuan glanced at them and saw they were all wanted criminals, mostly outlaw cultivators. A few were even at Late-stage Qi Refining, and the highest bounty was for several hundred Spirit Stones.
’The Yuanheng Mountain Range really has been restless lately.’
Li Yuan thought to himself. He didn’t dwell on it, simply turning and continuing toward his residence.
’These outlaw cultivators have nothing to do with . The guard rotation is a much bigger headache.’
After returning to his wooden cabin, Li Yuan wasted no ti, imdiately sitting down cross-legged to begin cultivating.
The night grew deeper, and the cabin fell silent.
After so ti, Li Yuan opened his eyes and exhaled a long, murky breath. With a thought, the panel appeared:
[Spiritual Qi Filter (White)]
[Permanence Progress: 19/100]
The progress had increased by six cycles. At this rate, it would take about another seven days to achieve permanence.
Li Yuan dismissed the panel, took out the Cleaning Skill manual, and copied it once with a brush and paper.
’The copied Cleaning Skill can’t be equipped. What’s the principle behind that?’
Li Yuan tried to equip it, but the system panel showed no reaction.
With too few samples to go on, Li Yuan didn’t bother investigating further and instead began practicing the Cleaning Skill.
The Spell for the Cleaning Skill wasn’t complex. Old Zhang had already explained the key points; all Li Yuan had to do was practice repeatedly until he reached the Entry level.
It wasn’t until late into the night that Li Yuan closed the manual and shut his eyes to rest.
Qi Refining Stage Cultivators still needed sleep, just very little of it.
Early the next morning, Li Yuan went to patrol the marketplace as usual.
Today was the day to collect his monthly stipend. After patrolling East Street, Li Yuan headed for the administration office.
The first floor of the administration office was already crowded with people, all Inspector Generals there to collect their monthly stipends.
Li Yuan queued at the back of the line and waited for the ti it took half an incense stick to burn before it was his turn.
A clerk checked his waist token, pulled a small cloth pouch from under the counter, and handed it over. "Three Spirit Stones and one ridian Opening Pill."
Li Yuan took the pouch, left the administration office, and found a secluded corner to open it.
Inside the pouch lay three egg-sized Spirit Stones and a dark red pill.
The pill gave off a faint dicinal fragrance. Its body was translucent, and one could vaguely see faint red patterns flowing within it.
This was the ridian Opening Pill, a dicinal pill that helped Qi Refining Stage Cultivators clear their ridians and accelerate their cultivation.
The Wang family distributed one to each Inspector General every month as an extra benefit.
Li Yuan picked up the ridian Opening Pill, and the familiar translucent text imdiately appeared before his eyes:
[Equippable Item Detected: ridian Opening Pill (Intact)]
[Trait Preview: Cycle Acceleration (White) — Increases cycle circulation speed by 50% during cultivation.]
[Permanence Condition Preview: Consu 10 pills of the sa or higher grade.]
[Equipnt Slot Full (1/1). Replace current equipnt?]
A 50% increase in cycle circulation speed—this effect was even stronger than the 30% cultivation speed boost from the Spiritual Qi Filter.
But it lacked the filtering function.
If the two traits were stacked, his cultivation speed would at least double.
More importantly, an increase in cycle circulation speed ant that the permanence progress for the Spiritual Qi Filter would also accelerate.
Li Yuan suppressed his excitent and quickly began to strategize.
He now had two paths he could take.
The first path: continue equipping the Spirit Stone, achieve permanence for the Spiritual Qi Filter, and then free up the equipnt slot to equip the ridian Opening Pill.
The second path: first equip the Cleaning Talisman, master the Cleaning Skill, make the "Pristine Body" trait permanent, unlock the second equipnt slot, and then equip the Spirit Stone and the ridian Opening Pill simultaneously.
The only issue was that after unequipping the Spirit Stone, he would have to wait until the next day to equip it again.
Li Yuan pondered for a mont before making his decision.
For the next three days, Li Yuan dedicated all his free ti to cultivating and practicing the Cleaning Skill.
During the day, he patrolled the marketplace, handled miscellaneous tasks, and studied the Cleaning Skill’s Spell in every spare mont.
At night, he would return to his cabin, first cultivate for a few cycles, and then continue practicing the Cleaning Skill.
The advice Old Zhang had given him proved invaluable, helping Li Yuan avoid many common pitfalls and progress much faster than expected.
「On the evening of the third day.」
Li Yuan sat cross-legged on his wooden bed, his hands forming a seal as Spiritual Power slowly circulated over the surface of his body.
A thin mbrane of light ford on his skin, sealing away the dust and gri on his body while emitting a faint, fresh scent.
The mbrane of light lasted for about ten breaths before slowly dissipating.
Li Yuan opened his eyes. With a thought, the panel appeared:
[Cleaning Skill: Entry (0/200)]
Success.
Li Yuan let out a long sigh of relief. With another thought, the translucent text appeared again:
[Equippable Item Detected: Cleaning Talisman (Intact)]
[Trait Preview: Pristine Body (Gray) — Body is resistant to dust and repels insects.]
[Permanence Condition Preview: Learn the Magic — Cleaning Skill]
Li Yuan first chose to unequip his current item.
[Equipnt Unequipped: Low Grade Spirit Stone]
[Spiritual Qi Filter (White) Trait Temporarily Inactive]
[Permanence Progress Preserved: 40/100]
[Note: An item of this type can only be re-equipped twenty-four hours after being unequipped.]
A Spirit Stone materialized in Li Yuan’s palm, looking exactly the sa as when he had equipped it.
Li Yuan put the Spirit Stone away and chose to equip the Cleaning Talisman.
The Cleaning Talisman in his hand dissolved into a faint ray of light that rged into his body and vanished.
[Equipped: Cleaning Talisman]
[Trait Acquired: Pristine Body (Gray)]
[Permanence Condition t]
[Make Permanent?]
Li Yuan chose yes.
[Permanence Successful]
[Pristine Body (Gray) has beco a permanent trait.]
[Equipnt Consud]
[Congratulations, the second equipnt slot has been unlocked.]
[Current Equipnt Slots: 0/2 (To unlock the third equipnt slot, either break through past the Late-stage Qi Refining or make five traits of White grade or higher permanent.)]
Li Yuan felt an almost imperceptible barrier form on the surface of his body. The dust clinging to his clothes automatically slid off, and even the few insects buzzing in the air instinctively kept their distance.
With a thought, Li Yuan brought up the system panel in front of him.
[Na: Li Yuan]
[Cultivation Technique: Spirit-Introducing Skill]
[Magic: ...]
[Equipnt Slots: (0/2)]
[Equipped Items: None]
[Acquired Traits: Pristine Body (Gray) (Permanent)]
Li Yuan took out a Spirit Stone. It was the one remaining from the two Old Zhang had given him.
[Cannot be equipped at this ti. An item of this type can only be re-equipped twenty-four hours after being unequipped.]
’Just as I expected,’ Li Yuan thought. He then took out the ridian Opening Pill.
[Equippable Item Detected: ridian Opening Pill (Intact)]
[Trait Preview: Cycle Acceleration (White) — Increases cycle circulation speed by 50% during cultivation.]
[Equip?]
’Equip.’
[Current Equipnt Slots: 1/2]
[Equipped Items: ridian Opening Pill]
[Acquired Traits: Cycle Acceleration (White), Pristine Body (Gray) (Permanent)]
Li Yuan eagerly sat down cross-legged and began circulating the Spirit-Introducing Skill.
Spiritual Qi gathered from all directions, and the speed of his cycle circulation increased noticeably.
But as the Spiritual Qi flowed, Li Yuan’s brow furrowed slightly.
The cycle speed was faster, but so minute impurities seed to have appeared in his ridians.
Li Yuan understood. This was likely because without the Spiritual Qi Filter trait, impurities were once again present in the Spiritual Qi he absorbed.
Fortunately, his ridians had mostly recovered, so he wasn’t worried about the impurities aggravating his old injuries.
Li Yuan didn’t dwell on it, closing his eyes and continuing to cultivate.
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